Automobile torpedo.



E. SCHNElDEH.

'AUTOMOBILE TORPEDO. APPLICATION HLED JULY 30.19x4.

1 145,389. Mmm JulyY 1915.

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E. SCHNEIDER.

AUTOMOBILE TORPEDO.

APPLICATION miv uLY so, i914. y

Patented Juy 63 12H5.

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I l N 'far-t E. SCHNEDER. AUTQMOBILE TORPEDQ APPLICATION FLLED JULY 30,1914. 1,145,339Q Patented July 6, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- UNiTnn stri-rens nuennn SCHNEIDER, lor Ln Cnnnzor,FRANCE.

messes'.

'Specification of Letters Patent.

AUTOlvIOBILE TORPEB O.

' 'Patented Juiyeieit.

Application filed July 30, 1914. Serial Nb. 854,033.

To ali whom 'it may concern.

i lle it known that l, Eposn ScHNniDnn, of Le Crenzot. France, haveinvented a neu and useful improvement in or Relating to AutoindbileTorpedoes. which is fully set icorth infthe following specification.

This invention relates to automobile torpedoes of the kind in which thecompressed air that drives the propelling engine is hented prior .to itsadmission to the engine. l4` this purpose the apparatus i'or heating thecompressed air has `as is shown diagrammetically in Figure l of theacconnianyinn drawing, comprised .u combustion chamber 1 arrangedbetween the compressed an' reservoir 2 and the engine 3. The air comingfrom .the reservoir 2 passes by pipe 9 to the inlet port of valve A.from which it leeres through conduit I0 and passes through pipe 6,forcing liquid hydrocarbon and water from the reservoirs 4 and 5 intothe chamber 1 thiough the pipes 7 and 8 respectively. A;-coxidi'iit` 1 1supplies-the combustion chamber. twith compressed air. .Upon thesepipes, cocks are generally fitted and these cocks 4are opened beforeplacing the torpedo in the launehing'tube. Now between the mo- :nentatwhich the said cocks areopened and the'time of launching the torpedowhich coincides with `the vactuation of the startinglever L'nnd theopening oi'the air inlet., a considerable period of time elapses.Dui-ingrJ thisfinteltvnl of time, the pipes 7 and 8, the :chamber landethe pipe which connects the latter with .the engine become filled-with combustible vapors. The result is that in` opportune explosionsoften take place.

The chief object of the .present Vinvention is toa-neidthe possibilityof explosions occurring Whenthe ignition vot the heating A cartridge inthe combustion chamber takes place, Vand r,to prevent faulty ignitionand Y mis'ireswhich sometimes take place if the.

pressure in the said chamber varies suddenly.

Theinventionsconsist's :broadly iinemp'loying ineensforfpassing;Ansupplv of cold air ithrongltfthecombustion Y chamber and .the

any'y admission of liquid hydrocarbon .undA` ,flEor'f'fthegpurposeof theinvention1 vthe made dependent vupon the position of meehal fthe fulladmission of air to-ithegeiigfin --Wbich is Aactuated bygearinglivr-'filll .fr nism which reterdsthe actuation of the fn ll`admission i'zilre between the air reservoir und the engine. Then thisinechanisnis constructed iii accordance with iny application for patentSerial Number S'led .50 herewith, the retardation of the -'o'clf-bncocksfor the liquid hydrocarbon"-'and-the wat-er is regulated at will and theretur'nfof the said mechanism to its initiall position produced by thestopping meclianism"tlien ,65 simultaneously produces theclosii'i-g-of'the1' air inlet and the hydrocarbon. Infother words. inthis orin of its ,applicationvtheinvention enables the followingefects{tobe l obtained: a, to produce running*etV a duced speed prior tofvrunning at' iipllal" speed the-said reduced speed running'being withcold airin order to sca-venge the'- coinbustion chamber and theenginejandiieipel the explosive vapors that vI 'ntiybe" eoi'itaiiled 75therein which might (simse-explosionsat'lth moment Tof ignitionoftheeaitridge; t0 render the heating apparatus opei'tiiieofnly'- e atthe nioinent aft #which runniiigfat normal :speed commences in 'ordentoavoid:

in general sectional elevation'jshpiVi-IJI rin/ .95

improvements and F a'. section lo' jthe" une iii-ni of rige.

In these tigures'Tdes'ignates a-cocli common to thepipes 7 and 8forthead i `ssion .of liquid hydrocarbon and Waterft om;A

bustion chamber. In,accordaa'ncs-jv t .invent-iom1th`iscock-isgconrieteically with an adjustblemecha retards the opera-tion.,ofathe ,A

. Y .l ,195 movement'vof the push rod/to 'liftth gillA A-av isprevented, .-during.,apredeterniined number ofreiolutionsrof:theienginebythe strlikingoze-meniber'l against-' soi va clutch' ithefotlienel,

theeengine. The push-rod bendthemember.v

I are actuated by the usual balance lever B the movements of which areproduced by the movements ofthe starting lever L.

K is the usual reduced admission valve 5 which is lifted as soon as thelever L is shifted into the position L by the intermediary of a lever Qand of a rod Q. The balance lever B actuates through a pin B2 a clutchmember C of a known stopping mechanism,

the companion member C of which is adapted to be rotated by the motorand is subjected to the action of a spring R.

Czvis an indeX Enger. The balance lever B is connected by a rod B withone arm of starting lever L which controls the reduced admission Valve Kthrough a connection `I designates a member which moves with the balancelever B and which is guided in bearings J, J rigid with casing A. A

spring 1' bearing at one end upon a ring M fixed in the member I and atthe other end upon a fixed stop formed by the bearing J, constantlylends to return the member I to 'the position represented in Fig. 2. Ina casing E, which maybe integral withl casing A', a clutch member F iscapable of rotating. 'lhe other clutch member H is provided with a tailpiece carrying at its upper extremity an indicating hand H', which isdisplaceable over a graduated dial H2, by means of a stop not shown onring H4. Around the rod carrying the clutch member H a torsion spring 2is coiled; one end of this spring is fixed to the member H and the otherto a ring H* pressed into the dial H2 by a powerful spring H5. Themember F is provided externally with teeth by means of which it gearswith a pinion F keyed to a Shaft G driven by the engine. A washer or ingan elongated hole O (Fig. 3). A pin R carried by an arm T integral withthe cock T engages in the hole O.

The operation is as follows. At the moment at vwhich the lever L of thestarting valve is broughtrearward, to L', the engine starts at low speedwith cold air, owing to the fact that the valve K and the member VI areonly lifted to the extent necessary for throwing-in the clutch H-F, thistravel be-1 ing insuiiicientto. open the valve A-a and rotate the cockT. The cock T therefore remains closed so that the water and the liquidhydrocarbon do not reach the 'combustion chamber.

. When at the end of a predetermined number of revolutions of the enginethe member I enga es in an orifice L in the clutch element the 'clutchF-H is thrown out of operation and the full admission valve A-a thenopens fully and the engine commences to run at its normal speed. At thesame time the member I in rising opens the cock 'I by the intermediaryof the collar M, the lever O and the arm T', and the water and theliquid hydrocarbon then reach the combustion chamber, to enable theheating of the air to commence. It will of course be understood that theignition cartridge is so arranged that its firing does not take placeuntil the end of the low speed running when the valve A-a opens fully.Vith this object the firing may be controlled by a device connected withthe push rod b or with the member I.

At the moment at which the torpedo stops, the member I is returned bythe balance lever B to its initial position; the spring 7 then causesthe collar M to descend and close the cock T. Consequently the liquidhydrocarbon and the water cease to flow to the combustionchamber. It istherefore easy by measuring the amount of liquid hydrocarbon and waterremaining in their containers after the run of the torpedo to exactlyascertain the quantity consumed during the run.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesis 1. In an automobile torpedo, the combination of an engine, a sourceof compressed air, and a source of liquid fuel, valve controlledconduits connecting the engine with said sources, means for opening saidair valve to start and scavenge the engine and means controlled by apredetermined number of revolutions of the engine for timing the openingof the fuel valve after the engine is scavenged.

2. In an automobile torpedo, the combination of an engine, a preheatingchamber therefor provided with a source of Vaporizable liquid and acompressed air supply; valve means for controlling said iuid supplies tosaid engine through said chamber comprising a reduced air admissionvalve, a full air admission valve and a valve controlling said liquidsupply; means for operating said valves including a push rod havingmeans controlled by a predetermined number of revolutions of the enginefor retarding action of said rod on th'e full admission valve, andconnections between said rod and said liquid admission valve.

3. In an automobile torpedo, the combination of an engine, a preheatingchamber therefor provided with aA source of Vaporizable liquid and acompressed air supply, valve means for controlling the supply of fueland air to said engine through said chamber comprising a reduced airadmission valve, a full air admission valve and a valve controlling thesupply of said liquid, means for operating said valves and means fortiming. the action of said operating means on the two last named valvesto open mames@ A'the same after opening the reduced air admission valvefor the purpose of scavenging the combustion chamber and engine.

4. In an automobile torpedo, the combination of an engine, a source ofcompressed air and a source of vaporizable liquid therev for; valvelmeans controlling said fluid supplies, comprising a reduced airadmission valve, a. full air admissionl valve, and a valve controllingthe said liquid supply; means for operating said valves and means fortiming the action of said operating EUGENE SCHNEIDER;

Witnesses:

CHAs. P. PRESSLY, C. 'GURITANn purpose of scavenging said 15

